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Winemaking brings together past and present, tradition and innovation, poetry and science. At Bodegas Arzuaga, we know this well, which is why we respect the vineyard’s cycles and different stages, aware that the secret to a great wine always lies in the vineyard. And during the month of March, one of the most beautiful phenomena of its life cycle takes place. In March, the vine ‘bleeds’. It’s a magical moment with a perfectly scientific explanation.
When the ground temperature rises thanks to the sunshine and longer days, the vine becomes active again and kickstarts the plant’s root system. The sap, which until now was in a state of winter rest, begins to circulate and reaches the buds. And here, we have to go back in time to the pruning, another of the key stages in the vine’s growing cycle. On this blog, we’ve told you about the cuts that are made during pruning that are fundamental so that later, we get high-quality grapes (you can read the full post about pruning here). And now is the time when that sap circulating through the plant will reach the places where the vine was pruned, and it’s going to ‘bleed’ as the sap drops from the canes that were cut.
The bleeding will stop once these cuts have healed. It usually lasts for 7 to 10 days, during which time the vine can lose up to five litres of sap.
But, as in all vineyards processes, this bleeding doesn’t happen everywhere at the same time or with the same intensity. The thicker the pruning cuts, the more the vine will bleed. The soil composition, humidity and changes in temperature during those days all have an impact as well.
The bleeding stage is fundamental for the plants, because the wounds produced by the cuts will get covered with a gelatinous substance, which will eventually cause the bleeding to end. This tells us that the vine is ready to cope with the budbreak stage. We’ll be able to see the first leaves emerging from the vine and we’ll know that life has returned to the vineyard.
At Bodegas Arzuaga, we’d like to invite you to come and visit our estate, in the heart of Ribera del Duero, and to witness this beautiful phenomenon for yourself. Soon, we’ll be able to see the first buds in the Bodegas Arzuaga vineyards, but, for now, the vines are getting ready to bleed.